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SEAN
O'NEILL - PRESS OFFICER
 by
Imelda and Francis Murphy
Besieged
with questions about the progress and cost of the project, Press
Officer Sean O'Neill fields them with aplomb. Sean has risen through
the ranks of the public relations department of the Massachusetts
Turnpike Authority (MTA) and has recently been promoted to the job
of Public Relations Manager.
A native
of Ennis, Co Clare, Sean achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Communications at Northeastern University, Boston, before he was
awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Integrated Marketing and Public
Relations from Emerson College, also in Boston.
He
came to the Big Dig with Bechtel, the prime contractor, hired by
the MTA to manage the project. He now is in charge of dispersing
information to the public, including through the project's website,
www.bigdig.com. He arranges
and leads tours of politicians, foreign dignitaries and engineering
luminaries, who come to observe the amazing work that is unfolding
in, on, under and over the streets of Boston.
He
reports to the Project Manager on daily internal and external communications
issues, including worker injuries; industrial disputes; government
and business relations; and public enquiries. Sean is at home dealing
with the media and faces a stream of inquiries from organisations
like the Boston
Herald, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington
Post, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, CBS, CNN and ABC. Sean has his work cut
out for him!
His
offices are on the 10th floor of the MTA building on Kneeland Street
- the old Wang building. His conference room walls are papered in
multi-coloured maps displaying both overviews and details of The
Central Artery/Tunnel Project.
From
his office window looking southerly one sees what appears to be
a chaotic immenseness of criss-crossed crane arms and heavy equipment
in frenetic movement in and around a huge pit.
Sean
makes sense of it all for the inquiring public, explaining lucidly
what seems so incomprehensible. He knows what's unfolding, describes
the work in progress and conveys how it will all fit together in
the end.
Sean
is engaged to an American girl, Heidi, and the couple plan to marry
next year.
© Copyright
Francis and Imelda Murphy
All rights reserved
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